Beech 65-A90-1 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 16, 2026
On January 16, 2026 at about 11:58 pm local time, a 1970 Beech 65-A90-1, registered N918MR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to attain proper flare during landing resulting in a hard landing short of the runway threshold. Contributing to the accident were gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 2026 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90-1, built 1970 · all 65-A90-1s on the register
- Registration
- N918MR · registry record · serial LM-138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot maneuvered the airplane onto the final approach leg of the traffic pattern; he reduced the power to slow the airplane and encountered a significant downdraft or windshear. The airplane impacted the ground about 150 feet short of the runway threshold. The nose and left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing contacted a snow berm which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Windshear or thunderstorm during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,777 hours in all; 689 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,226 as pilot in command; 1,488 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 3, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,340 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 4,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 7, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,750.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 26, 2025; 32.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,545 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 (turboprop); 14,875 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 (turboprop); 14,757 hours total
- Operator: Missionary Aviation Repair Center
The flight
- Departed from: PASX Soldotna AK at 11:30 pm
- Runway 16, 2,640 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 19 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from PAMR
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAMR 162253Z 18019G34KT 10SM FEW023 FEW050 02/M02 A2998 RMK AO2 PK WND 20041/2159 SLP152 P0019 T00171022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Image of left side of accident airplane
Photograph 2 – Image of accident airplane from behindThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 25, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC26LA010.